At 18.43 and 18.44 hours on 9 March 1943, U-596 fired torpedoes at convoy KMS-10 and observed one hit after 1 minute 59 seconds and then heard another detonation after 2 minutes 55 seconds, probably on a more distant ship. A third torpedo detonation and a boiler explosion were also heard. In fact, the first torpedo damaged the Fort Norman and the third the Empire Standard.

The damaged Empire Standard reached Algiers where she was bombed and sunk by German aircraft on 26 March 1943.